Too high or too low cylinder power has been a leading cause of real and perceived internal combustion engine problems. When these problems go undetected and/or unremedied, the abnormal performance can undermine the productivity or reliability of an associated work machine, vehicle, generator set, or the like. In addition, power deviations from normal can reduce fuel economy and increase undesirable emissions, such as particulates, NOx and unburned hydrocarbons. In addition, power deviations from normal also have a potential for catastrophic engine failure. Cylinder low or over power problems can also produce engine vibrations and power imbalances that can lead to customer complaints, undermine customer perceptions, and potentially increase warranty costs. Unfortunately, though cylinder power problems are common, those skilled in the art will recognize that it is often very difficult and time consuming to identify and troubleshoot cylinder power problems, especially in engines having many cylinders.
Co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,878,366, 6,082,187 and 6,199,007 addressed similar issues regarding detecting cylinder power loss in an internal combustion engine. Although the systems and methodologies described in these patents are sound, they appear to be relatively difficult to implement due to their substantial complexity and resulting costs. In other words, the methods described in these references can require substantial processing power or computational time, which may not be available in many current and planned engine systems. Because power problems are common, it is desirable to have a method for monitoring cylinder power that is compatible or integral with existing engines without adding unnecessary cost or complexity. Thus, there remains a need for an easily implemented system and method for detecting cylinder powered deviations from normal in an internal combustion engine.
The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.